What is
by bluebaby3296
Summary: this story takes place 2 yrs later...martin wants to propose to ruthie..will she accept..will sandy want ruthie to be aarons step mom...will ruthie change her mind...read and find out
1. Chapter 1

Two Years… I can't believe it's been two years. Martin says aloud to himself.

He still couldn't believe that as of today it was their two-year anniversary. It seemed like only yesterday that he had just taken Ruthie on their first date. That evening the two of them officially started dating.

Now 21 yrs old and a junior in college and Ruthie is 19 and is a freshman in college.

**Ruthie's Dorm**

Ruthie Camden was currently asleep on her bed with her textbook lying next to her. She had been up most of the night working diligently on her homework.

_Beep Beep Beep Beep_

Ruthie's alarm blared until she finally started to regain consciousness

_No...please don't tell me it's time to get up. _Ruthie thought to herself as she reached over and slapped her alarm clock button.

Getting out of bed and stretching, Ruthie walked over to her bathroom and splashed some water on her face. She stood there until her eyes focused and she started to think coherently.

Waddling out of her bathroom, her head hunched down, Ruthie took a moment to look at her calendar.

"OHHH MY GOD!" Ruthie yelled aloud realizing exactly what day it was.

"Today is our anniversary! I completely forgot that it was today. I have to get dressed, do my hair, and I have to get Martin a gift." Ruthie panicked.

Ruthie ran to her closet, grabbed her towel and robe then proceeded to darted for the shower. Fifteen minutes later Ruthie emerged from her shower in a blue robe and a towel around her head.

"I can't believe I forgot what today was. What a great girlfriend I am forgetting my anniversary. It's not that I forgot... but I have been so busy with school and...Uhhhhhhhhhhh" Ruthie yelled into the quiet dorm.

_Great...My door mates must think I'm insane. God I feel so horrible. _Ruthie thought and buried her face in her pillow.

Ruthie went to her closet and quickly picked out a pair of dark jeans, black tank top, and a light grayish blue sweater jacket with black high boots. Her hair was up in a bun with her bangs in front of her face. Looking into her mirror Ruthie smiled and nodded to her self _perfect. _With that Ruthie grabbed her keys and left her dorm to go find Martin a gift.

**Martin's Dorm**

Martin was in his room thinking about Ruthie. After weeks of waiting, their anniversary was finally here along with the moment of truth. Reaching over to his night stand Martin opened the draw and pulled out a small black velvet box. Martin stroked some dust off of the velvet then carefully opened the box. It made that squeak that all jewelry seemed to make upon opening. There shining brightly inside the box was his mother's wedding ring. Looking down at the gold band with a very sizable diamond in it, Martin couldn't help but remember the day that it came into his possession.

_Flashback _

"_Martin I want you to have this." Elizabeth stated as she handed her only son a small velvet box. _

_Even for being so young Martin knew what it was. He looked at his mother with uncertainty. "Mom why are you giving me your wedding ring?" 12 yr old Martin asked._

"_Because I want you to have it so that when you get older and you find the love of your life that you can give this to her." Elizabeth stated. _

"_Why mom? You're going to get better." Martin declared. He didn't want to believe that his mother would not be with him soon. "Can't you give it to me when I meet her?" Martin inquired._

"_You know I will always be with you Martin. Just promise me that when you find that girl you will give her my ring." She implored._

"_I wish I could Martin. Oh how I wish I could. But you know I will always be with you. Just promise me that when you find that special girl you will give her my ring." She implored._

"_I promise mom...I promise." Martin responded._

_End of flashback_

His mother's words echoed through his mind as he held the box and stared at her ring.

"I can't think of anyone else that deserves to wear this ring." Martin stated to himself. "But should I do it today?" Martin pondered to himself.

They had been together for two years, why shouldn't he propose? He had thought about how he wanted to do it so many times. Maybe on Christmas, or even her birthday. He even thought of hiding the ring in an Easter egg and sending Ruthie on an a egg hunt. But that didn't seem too romantic.

_Should I do it today...or wait? God please give me a sign...anything! _Martin contemplated to himself in frustration.

Martin decided to watch some TV to take his mind off of things and calm his nerves.

He closed the ring box, returned the ring to its spot and then proceeds to flop on his bed. Martin picked up the remote and could not believe what popped on to the television screen.

"Ask and you shall receive." Martin declared as the opening credits for My Best Friends Wedding was staring him right in the face.

_That's it! This is God's way of saying today is the day to propose. Thank you. _Martin thought to himself as he jumped off the couch in excitement. Mimicking his soon to be father-in-law (hopefully) Martin looked up and just said, "Thank you."

**Meanwhile**

At that very moment down town Ruthie Camden was at the mall searching for the perfect gift for Martin. She had no idea what to get him. Even though the two of them had dated for two years, lived under the very same roof for two years, and they have been friends even longer, she still had no idea what to get him.

It was hard shopping for Martin because he was a guy, and he already had everything. Ruthie hated shopping for her boyfriend because he never really wanted anything and if he did he usually got it before she could even think about trying to get it for him. She was pondering as she walked past the sports store. She suddenly came to a grinding halt as it hit her… _A bat! I can get Martin a black bat with his name engraved in blue on it. I saw something like it before. Hopefully I can get it finished in time for our date tonight._

Ruthie walked into the store and went straight to the counter.

"Hi do you engrave names into bats here?" Ruthie asked.

"Yes we do miss. Would you like to have one made up?" The clerk responded back.

"Yes I would. You see today is my anniversary and I want to get my boyfriend something special." Ruthie declared.

The man at the front desk simply smiled. "What kind of bat would you like to have inscribed." Inquired the clerk.

"It has to be a good heavy bat...but not to heavy. Black with the name Martin inscribed in blue." Ruthie described.

The clerk went to the back room and came back with a black bat just as Ruthie described. "You're lucky. This is our last black bat and it's a really good bat. One of our best sellers. The total cost for having it inscribed will cost $300 dollars." He answered.

Ruthie's face went from cheerful to gloomy in less then four seconds. There was no way she could spend that much money. "I don't think I can afford that." Ruthie announced.

The clerk looked at the expression on the poor girls face and thought about it. He then came to a quick decision.

"Listen how about you buy one of our catalogs and I'll let you have the bat inscribed for $180 dollars." The clerk could see how badly she wanted this. He knew what it was like to be young and in love.

"Oh no I couldn't." Ruthie cried.

"No please. You seem like a very nice young lady. Come back in an hour and I will have the bat ready for you." He insisted.

"Thank you so much. This truly means a lot to me." Ruthie paused. She felt tears in her eyes. The fact that he was doing this for her meant a lot. "I will be back in an hour. Thank you again." Ruthie said gratefully.

Walking out the store Ruthie couldn't help but smile. The day had started out bad but in the end turned out just great. _I can't wait to see the look on Martin's face when he gets his new bat. _Thought Ruthie.

Just as she reached her car door Ruthie's cell began to ring. Seeing that it was Martin Ruthie answered. "Happy Anniversary." Ruthie said in a giddy voice.

"Happy anniversary baby." Martin cooed. He loved calling her baby. It was his nickname for her.

"So what are you up to?" She asked curiously.

"I'm just relaxing. What about you...what are you up to?" Martin inquired.

"Nothing much...I was hoping that maybe we could have dinner later." Suggested Ruthie. While she couldn't wait to see Martin and give him his gift, what she really couldn't wait for was to have his arms around her.

_I love how she always knows what I'm thinking. _Martin thought. "You know I was going to ask you the same thing." Martin laughed. "How about you come over to my room tonight and I will make us dinner." Martin offered.

"You make us dinner...I thought you hated cooking?" She shot back at him in a playful tone.

"While that is usually true tonight is the exception. Why don't you come by around four o'clock?" Stated Martin who was as nervous as a kid in a spelling bee. If he blew his chance he might not get another one.

"That sounds perfect! That way I have time to find something special to wear. I love you and can't wait to see you later." Ruthie screamed without realizing it. She was just so happy.

"I love you too baby." Martin said in a low voice to contrast his excited girlfriend.

They hung up the phone and looked at their clocks.

_Ok Martin's bat will be ready at one and from there I can go home and put on the new dress I bought just for tonight. Ruthie thought to herself._

Martin's heart was pounding as he thought of everything he needed to do before Ruthie arrived.

"OK… Ruthie arrives at four. That gives me four hours to get dressed, prepare dinner, and decided how I want to propose, not necessarily in that order Martin let out a sigh and began getting ready for the most important night of his life.

**AN: Well here it is folks the sequel I promised you. I hope you all like. This is my first chapter and I hope it's good. I think it is. You're in for wild ride in this sequel. Stay tuned because it gets very interesting. So if you would like me to continue you have to review. No reviews no more chapters. So review like crazy...you guys are the best.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ruthie's Dorm**

_Only a few more hours until I see Martin. _Ruthie thought as she slipped on her new dress that she had bought that day. The dress was black with pink trim around the top. It hugged her body in all the right places, showing off her hourglass figure.

Ruthie walked over to the bathroom to apply her makeup and to fix her hair. She had decided to let her light brown hair hang down around her shoulders with her bangs slightly curled to bring out her eyes. _Martin loves when my hair is down. He says I look radiant._ Ruthie couldn't help but smile as she thought of Martin.

_I wonder if Martin is going to propose soon. We've talked about getting married before, but it wasn't that long of a conversation. Knowing him he'll probably propose when I'm out of college. _Ruthie wondered._ But one thing is for sure, I can't wait to be Mrs. Brewer. _

Looking in her mirror once more Ruthie nodded and said to herself, "Well I better get going if I want to pick up Martin's gift and be at his apartment on time."

Grabbing her keys and purse from the night stand Ruthie headed out the door completely oblivious to the surprises that were in store for her that night.

As Ruthie drove to the mall to pick up Martin's gift, she couldn't help but notice how amazing the sky was. The dark blue color with stars shining brightly in its background made everything seem so perfect. Ruthie pulled into the mall parking lot and went inside.

Upon entering the store Ruthie saw the clerk coming out of the back room. He saw Ruthie and said, "Hello Ms. I have your bat all ready for you."

"Thank you again for everything." Sincerity filled Ruthie's voice as she thanked him.

"It's my pleasure." He pulled the bat from under the counter where he had kept it. "There you go, one black bat inscribed in blue writing." The clerk stated as he placed it in Ruthie's hands.

The bat was in a wooden case with silver wrapping paper. She paid the clerk and was now on her way to Martin's apartment. Ruthie was anticipating giving Martin his gift. The look on Martin's face as he opens his gift will be priceless.

**Meanwhile**

Martin was running around his apartment frantically trying to get everything ready. He had the food cooking, the table set. Now all he had to do was get dressed which he should've done first but didn't, and he still had to figure out how he wanted to propose.

_Oh great…my hair still isn't done, my clothes are still on my bed…UGhhhh..._ Martin contemplated as he quickly put on his black suit with a blue shirt and black tie that lay across his bed. After doing that Martin ran to the bathroom and squeezed a glob of gel into his hands and began running his figures through his thick black hair.

_What's that smell? _Martin wondered. _Oh no the chicken!_ Martin literately flew toward the kitchen. As he went to go grab the chicken from the oven he burned his finger.

"Owww…damnit." Martin groaned in pain. He sucked on his finger to sooth the stinging sensation. It felt like being stung by a bee only ten times worse. _Could anything else go wrong tonight?_ Martin pondered.

Luckily for him the chicken wasn't burnt…badly. After almost ruining dinner Martin decided the next time he plans something special for Ruthie he would order something.

_God please don't let anything else bad happen tonight. This night has to be absolutely perfect. _Martin prayed. He was so nervous about proposing. Martin couldn't help but feel jittery, nervous, nauseous, eager and excited all at one time. With all of these emotions running through his body, this adrenaline had him bouncing off the walls.

Martin went back to his room and took out the ring box. He sat on the bed and held the box in his hand. Staring at the ring box, feeling the soft velvet touch as it tickled his fingers. In just a few hours he would be asking the woman of his dreams to marry him.

_How…how am I going to propose? It has to be the right moment. OK Martin just breath…you can do this. All that matters is I love her. _Martin thought for a moment.

Heading back to the kitchen Martin took the bottle of Champaign out of the fridge and placed it into the bucket of ice. The bottle was green with a yellow ribbon going around it. In the middle of the table Martin had two candles lit and next to them was the Champaign.

_What am I missing? The table is set, the food is in the oven to stay warm, candles lit, ring in pocket…what else is there. _Martin contemplated for a moment and then realized _music I forgot to put the music on._

Martin chose to play classical music. Not too boring, but nice relaxing music. He put it in just in time as Ruthie had pulled up in her black car.

_She's here!_ _Ok just relax Brewer stay calm. _Martin told himself mentally.

Ruthie got out of her car with a huge smile on her face. Grabbing Martin's bat from the backseat, she headed toward Martin's apartment and reaching her destination knocked on the door.

He paused for just a moment, took in a deep breath. Held it for just a moment and then let it out. He then smiled, turned the doorknob and couldn't help but stare at the breath taking site in front of him.

"Wow." Martin declared, "Ruthie you look absolutely amazing." Martin complemented. Her beauty was made his heart flutter. "Happy anniversary."

"Thank you. Happy anniversary." Ruthie said as she kissed his cheek and went inside.

"Martin this place looks so amazing. She said truly amazed at all the trouble Martin went to for this evening.

_I can't believe he did all this for me. He has candles lit, music playing, and he even bought Champaign. What smells so good? _Ruthie thought as she stood in his living room in total shock.

Martin saw Ruthie's eyes light up as she gazed upon the dining area. This brought a smile to his face and happiness to his heart. _Look at her smile…god I love that smile._ _She looks so amazing, especially when the candlelight hits her eyes. _Martin stood there gazing at the radiant young woman in front of him.

Slowly walking up behind her Martin wrapped his arms around her and kissed up and down her neck causing Ruthie to jump just a bit. The feel of his soft, warm lips against her skin made shivers go up her spine.

Martin stopped moments later and said, "I love you so much." His arms still wrapped around her.

Ruthie turned around to face Martin. His passion filled eyes connected with hers. "I love you too Martin. So what smells so good?" Ruthie asked.

"That is my mother's recipe. Chicken with Alfredo sauce." Martin answered.

Ruthie bit her bottom lip and said, "That sounds great." Ruthie said. She had completely forgotten that Martins gift was in her hand.

Martin noticed a long box in Ruthie's hand. He was curious to what it was. "Ruthie what's that in your hand." Martin curiously asked.

Ruthie laughed and said, "This is for you, but you don't get it till after dinner." Ruthie teased. She knew how making him wait drove him nuts.

"Please can I open it now?" Martin begged. He made one of his puppy dog faces and began to pout. _She can't resist when I make my puppy dog face. _Martin thought to himself.

_Oh no…not the puppy dog face. I hate when he does that. Martin has such a cute puppy dog face. _Ruthie thought.

"No it won't work this time. I promise after dinner you can have it." Ruthie stated. She was not going to let his face get her this time.

"Let's eat dinner then." Martin declared. He escorted Ruthie to the table and pulled her chair out for her.

Ruthie smiled at his gesture. "Can you believe we have been together two years?" Ruthie acknowledged.

"They have been the best two years of my life." Martin replied. "I'm going to go get the food." Martin confirmed.

Ruthie saw that he was getting emotional. Being together was the best thing that ever happened to them.

Martin walked into the kitchen and exhaled. _Come on man, keep together. _He thought as he prepared the plates. Heading back toward the table he saw Ruthie placing her napkin on her lap.

"I hope you like it." Martin prayed. He placed her plate on the table. "Oh wait not yet." Martin stopped her. Grabbing the Champaign bottle Martin took the cork out and poured some in both their cups.

This made Ruthie laugh. "Thank you. Can't eat without Champaign." Ruthie agreed.

Twenty minutes later both Ruthie and Martin finished their dinner. Throughout the dinner Martin's gaze was almost always on Ruthie. Occasionally he had to look down at his plate so he wouldn't drop his food.

Ruthie couldn't help but notice that Martin was staring at her. _I hope there isn't something on my face. _Ruthie thought in embarrassment. "Martin is there something on my face?" Ruthie asked curiously.

Martin laughed and replied, "No there is nothing on your face. I was just admiring how beautiful you look tonight."

Ruthie blushed at the comment. "That is very sweet of you to say Martin. Would you like your present now?" Ruthie inquired.

She knew it was a rhetorical question.Of course Martin wanted to open his gift. She could tell that he was so anxious to see what it was.

Unknown to Ruthie however Martin would be evening the score with her for making him wait. During the course of dinner he had decided how he was going to give her the ring and wouldn't do so until just the right time later that evening. The fact that she would have to wait for her gift as well would drive her bonkers

Ruthie went over to where she laid his gift at and brought it to him. "Happy anniversary Martin." Ruthie exclaimed as she handed him his gift.

A huge smile came upon Martin's face. He unwrapped the paper and looked at the box in his hands. Martin looked at Ruthie with a smile and opened the box. When he did he was amazed with what he saw. Inside was a black bat with his name inscribed in blue. Martin's mouth dropped to the floor in shock. He was speechless.

"Www...Wow…I...I can't believe this…thank you." Martin stuttered. He was so bewildered by his gift. Martin took the bat out of the box and held it in his hand. He ran his fingers over his name in the blue writing. The black wood that rest in his hands was perfect. It was strong and had a great shape to it.

_I can't believe she got me this. This is the best bat I've ever seen._ Martin thought. Placing the bat into its box and resting it on his chair, Martin went over to Ruthie and kissed her.

"I knew you'd like it." Whispered Ruthie. This was what she had been waiting for all day. She loved seeing his eyes glow with astonishment.

"Like it…Ruthie I love it. This is the greatest anniversary." Martin proclaimed.

"So… what did you get me?" Ruthie asked her love.

"That my dear is a secret, one that you will have to wait for I'm afraid." Martin said very straight-faced. Inside he was laughing like a hyena. The look on her face was one for the record books.

"Touché." Ruthie stated.

Martin turned his back on his girlfriend as she gave him "the stare". He took this moment to carefully replace the bat in its box and placed it in the closet out of the way. Taking the still scolding Ruthie's hand in his he hit a button on the stereo remote and the music changed from classical to soft and romantic music. Placing the remote on a table he led his lady to the center of the living room and the couple danced slowly, yet ever so closely, to the beat of the music.

"You're trying to butter me up." Ruthie stated.

"Is it working?" Martin inquired.

"Maybe." A grinning Ruthie retorted as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and then wrapped her arms around him.

Even in high heels Ruthie was still several inches shorter than Martin but her head was resting ever so closely to his heart. She could feel it thumping very hard. She wondered to herself if Martin could feel her heart pounding in the same rhythm.

They danced slowly for several songs, never really noticing them change. They just enjoyed the close, almost intimate, contact with one another. Martin raised her chin up and kissed Ruthie ever so softly. Ruthie parted her lips to allow Martin access to her but before they could get too carried away Martin broke the kiss.

_This is it. This is my perfect moment. _Thought Martin.

Before Ruthie could ask why Martin had broken the kiss Martin kneeled, reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the velvet box he had in his hands earlier that day.

To say that she was surprised would be an understatement of biblical proportions. She couldn't believe that Martin was on one knee with a velvet box clutched in his hand. Martin then opened the box to reveal a 2 k diamond on a gold band.

"Ruthie I love you with all of my heart. I thank God everyday that we are together. There is no one else I can imagine spending my life with but you. You're the one I want to wake up to every morning with, grow old with." Martin said pausing to catch his breath.

Ruthie could feel the tears running down her face but did not move to wipe them. She could not take her eyes off her beloved, or the ring resting in the black box.

"This was my mother's ring. She told me to give this to the love of my life… and that person is you Ruthie. Ruthie Camden will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?" Martin asked as tears filled his eyes.

Ruthie couldn't believe this was actually happening. The love of her life just proposed and she was stunned in silence. Her heart was beating so fast and loud that she thought Martin's neighbors could hear it from miles away. Ruthie had wanted this day to come for a long time, and now it was here.

Martin still on his knee with the ring in his hand was waiting for her answer. "Ruthie?" Martin asked worriedly. _Please say yes please…_ Martin hoped. Tears began to fall down his cheek as he waited for her answer.

Ruthie wiped Martin's tears away. What was she so hesitant about?

Finally finding her voice Ruthie spoke up and said, "Yes Martin…I will marry you!'

AN: yea I finally updated. Sorry it took so long. But here is ur update. Lolo I hope u all like it. And review. If u want updates u got to give me lots of reviews lololo./…..thanks for reading this story and making it so enjoyable for me to write. Remember review like crazy lololololo


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: This ch was co-written by me and my very good friend D.Torres. This ch is rated M for sexual scene. So remember if you guys want updates you got to hit my little friend the review button…I have to say I am a little shocked the number of alert list I am on…I had more with what if. So if you want me to continue leave plenty of reviews and to all the people who read what if you got to read this one lolo...its great_

Martin Brewer had no concept of time, much less and idea of his current location as he started to awaken. All he knew at this moment in time was that he was barely awake, that he very content, and that for some reason he was extremely aroused. As he started to move he began to realize a few more things. The room was fairly dark, meaning someone had turned off the lights at some point in time last night, and the only illumination was the sun peaking through the window shades. He also quickly came to the conclusion that he'd slept in most of the clothes he wore last night, that he was very warm and that there was something resting on his chest.

Martin opened his eyes waited for them to adjust in the dim light. When they did so seconds later he was greeted to a very welcome site. Ruthie Camden was currently snuggling against his chest, her beautiful eyes were closed, and darting back and forth as one does during a deep sleep. Any other day and Martin might wonder why she was here, on his couch, wrapped in his arms as she slept on his chest. However after last night momentous occasion he knew exactly why she was currently in his home and that knowledge brought a large smile to his face. Ruthie's left hand was draped over her right arm and on it was an engagement ring. More specifically his mother's engagement ring was currently on Ruthie's ring finger. He still couldn't believe that she had said yes and that the ring once belonging to his mother now belonged to Ruthie soon-to-be Brewer.

After she had agreed to marry him Martin had stood up, and lifted her up into arms, spun her around a few times and then proceeded to kiss her until the their lips were dry and they were both gasping for air. Upon placing her on the couch Martin retrieved the bottle of champagne and the two toasted to their happiness and eventual marriage. Due to the late hour, and the fact they had both had several glasses of champagne at dinner Martin did not feel comfortable allowing Ruthie to drive herself home, nor drive her their himself. It didn't take much to convince Ruthie to stay the night. However she did not know if she trusted herself, alone in Martin's bed, not to go too far with Martin in her tipsy state.

Martin came up with a very simple solution. Removing a blanket from the hall closet, Martin removed his jacket, and the duo took off their shoes and proceeded to relax on the couch. Martin loved the feeling of Ruthie next to him, even if she was fully clothed. Ruthie likewise was in seventh heaven as she let Martin wrap his arms around her. The two lovers kissed several times before finally finding their comfort zone and drifting to sleep.

Now, hours after the life-changing event Martin was wishing that Ruthie and he were already married. During the night Martin had wrapped his right arm around Ruthie and it was only now that he realized it was resting precariously under Ruthie's breasts. His right hand was tucked under her arm and his thumb was rubbing against the side of her left breast. While this was initially involuntary, now that he was awake he found himself having to struggle to control himself. It would be easy for him to take her mound in his hand and fondle it. Despite his noble intentions he could not help but think how he was sorely tempted to do just that. A battle waged in his head between his chivalrous side and his hormonal instincts. He knew that if Ruthie were to suddenly wake up he could feign sleep, but as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't bring himself to take advantage of her and decided to just continue on as he was.

Ruthie, unknown to Martin was waking up herself. While she was not aware that Martin was awake she was well aware of where his hands had ended up during the night. His right hand was currently teasing her breast while the left lay draped across her waist almost touching her most sensitive spot. If this were anyone other than Martin, asleep or not, she would have sat up and smacked him so hard that he wouldn't wake up for a week. However as this was the man she loves, _her fiancé_, she thought to herself. Ruthie couldn't help but begin to grin as her body came alive. She could feel his arousal pressed against her left thigh. It was his arousal that had originally woken her from her slumber, and it excited her that she caused this reaction in him.

Ruthie, like all of her older siblings, had been given the talk about premarital sex. Of the five adult children Ruthie was the youngest daughter and the one they usually worried about the least (save her sophomore year, but everyone knows about that). She never truly understood why her brother Simon had gone against their upbringing and engaged in premarital sex until this very moment. Ruthie shifted her body and was now lying chest-to-chest with Martin. Her lips brushed against the underside of his neck and she heard him suck in a bit of air as they made contact with his skin.

When Ruthie moved Martin released his hold on his ladylove and found his hands in two new spots. At the time Martin was so engrossed with the sensation of having even the slightest contact with Ruthie's chest that he hadn't noticed that his left had was resting on Ruthie's waist. It took the slightly younger woman's movement for him to realize this but it wasn't until his hand found itself resting on her derriere that he realized how close he come to touching her sensitive spot.

Martin's right hand was now resting on her back and he could feel the strap of the bra that supported her cleavage. Not wanting to wake Ruthie should she still be asleep, Martin closed his eyes and relaxed until he felt Ruthie's lips on his neck. The feeling of her lips on his skin was electric and it sent his pulse racing. Martin decided that even if Ruthie were asleep that it was time to reciprocate. Martin opened his eyes once more and kissed his fiancé's forehead. Ruthie's eyes opened and slowly focused on Martin's face.

The two smiled and their faces inched closer to one another and their lips came ever so softly into contact. The kiss started out slow. Martin was the first to open his mouth to allow Ruthie access to it. Her tongue entered it and the two kissed and began to give into their urges. Ruthie sat up and hiked up her dress so she could better straddle her future husband's waist. As she did this she couldn't help but feel Martin's member straining against his dress pants. Martin likewise could feel the heat and wetness coming from Ruthie through his pants. He knew that they should stop, he knew that they were getting carried away but while logically they should stop neither he nor Ruthie were halting their progress.

After having a similar internal debate, Ruthie had come to the same conclusion and decided to start unbuttoning Martin's dress shirt. Martin had not allowed their lips to break contact, nor had he removed his hands from Ruthie's backside. After Ruthie had lifted her dress to straddle Martin's waist, Martin had slid his left hand under the dress and was caressing her back. The feeling of her warm skin against his hand sent shivers down the young woman's spine and excited Martin to no end. His left and was currently kneading Ruthie's panty covered bottom until he felt cool air upon his chest. Realizing that Ruthie was pushing their relationship forward Martin decided that it was time to "up the ante".

Martin removed his hands from Ruthie's body, earning him a whimper of disappointment. He gripped the hem of the dress and began to slowly remove the black and pink garment. The whimper Ruthie had released suddenly changed to a moan as chills ran down her spine and goose bumps formed on her body as her love slowly lifted the dress up. His fingers were traveling up the back of her thigh and the sides of her back to maintain contact as the material was raised off her smaller form. The two finally were forced to break their kiss as the dress came off its owner and was placed on a nearby coffee table. Holding Ruthie close to him Martin began kissing her chest and trailing down to each of her breast. Ruthie began to thrust her fingers through Martin's thick, black hair, holding him closer as he left sensual kisses on the exposed part of her breast. Martin then took a moment to admire Ruthie as she knelt before him in only her bra and panties. While not Victoria's Secret lingerie on her the pink undergarments enhanced her already magnificent features. Martin opened his mouth to relay this to Ruthie but she put her left index finger on his lips to hush any complement he was about to bestow upon her. Instead she wanted to finish what she had started.

Without saying a word Ruthie let the finger slide from Martin's mouth down his chin and then along the right side of his neck until she was once again at the buttons on his shirt. Reaching the third button she used both hands to slowly undo the button. Martin was having a hard time swallowing. He wanted so badly to divest himself of his clothes and the rest of Ruthie's but he knew this was all a game.

The two of them were romantically trying to one up the other. This couldn't be any clearer as Ruthie's face neared his chest and placed searing hot kisses along his chest as she undid one button after another. This continued until all seven of his shirt buttons were unclasped and she allowed the garment to fall of his shoulders. Ruthie took a moment to admire her fiancés lean but muscular chest and placed a few kisses on his shoulders and along his neck. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Ruthie then began to slowly kiss and suck along the left side of Martin's neck.

This was the moment Martin had eagerly been waiting for. With her legs locked behind him Martin placed his left arm under her bottom and his right wrapped around her back. The two of them were covered in a light sheen of sweat so Martin made sure he had a good grip, which earned him a giggle from Ruthie as she thought he was tickling her. Bracing himself, Martin pushed up and carefully lifted them off the couch. The motion took Ruthie by surprise causing her to strengthen her hold on Martin, not that he was complaining about that. While she could not see their destination she knew in her heart that he was carrying her towards the bedroom. If she were about to panic from the thought of being alone in that room with him it was lost when Martin began nipping and kissing her neck and ear. Ruthie just closed her eyes and gave into the wants of her body as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

Martin was currently sitting on the edge of the bed as Ruthie, having released her grip on his waist, was now sliding down once again kissing her way down Martins finely sculpted chest. Her hands which had been resting on his upper body, were teasing their way down along his abs until they reached their goal, Martin's pants. She released the button, breaking contact with his body to watch him stare at her in awe as she pulled the zipper down. She began pulling the waist of his pants down and allowed Martin to lift him self up enough so that she could finish removing the pants from his legs. With his pants discarded the two young lovers were left with only their underwear on. Ruthie reached for the waistband of Martin's boxers but her lover had other plans.

Grabbing her wrists Martin carefully pulled Ruthie to a standing position. He then guided her back on to the bed and allowed her to pull back the sheets and she crawled into the center of the bed. Martin slid in next to her and started kissing her ever so tenderly. Martin's right arm slid behind Ruthie's neck to act as a brace and to draw her in closer to him. Ruthie intertwined her legs with Martin's and began rubbing her panty-covered sex against Martin's confined manhood. Martin nervously placed his left hand on Ruthie's lace covered right breast. He let it rest there to make sure that Ruthie had not opposition to him touching her there. If he had any doubts they were removed when Ruthie covered his left hand with her right and urged him to fondle it. Martin did not remove the fabric covering her breast and instead, using the palm of his hand simple teased the nipple through the cloth further stimulating it until it was very visible through the bra cup. Once it was poking into the cloth of her bra Martin used his fingers to gently tease the nipple with his thumb and fingers as he attempted to excite his lover.

Ruthie was so caught up in the new feeling that she had failed to notice that her fiancé was now approaching her other lace covered mound and she let out a squeal when Martin placed his lips on her the upper part of her chest. He opened his mouth and liked the sweaty flesh before his lips would kiss her skin. Martin then gently used his teeth to tease the other nipple through the bra cup. Martin slid his left hand to the back of her leg, and then moved all the way up her thigh and to her center. Gently rubbing the palm of his hand over her center, massaging her harder with every touch, he created a sensation of ecstasy that sent shivers all down Ruthie's spine. Ruthie was so overly stimulated that she thought she was going to have her release and they hadn't even gotten naked yet.

She felt Martin kiss and lick the valley between her breasts and was about to moan his name when Martin playfully dived down and nipped and licked her belly button. Ruthie yelped, laughed, and then went into a fetal position. She was very ticklish in that area, a fact Martin knew all too well, and covered herself to keep him from doing so again. Martin pulled her to him and hugged her oh so close. He kissed along the left side of her neck and shoulders and was about to remove the bra strap when Martin's telephone rang. To say that the two were surprised to hear this, particularly since they looked at the clock and saw that it was just about six o'clock in the morning was an annoyance nonetheless.

Martin let the phone ring two more times and listened to see who was calling at this early hour. The answering machine picked up and the only sound that came was the sound a fax machine makes when it's transmitting data. Martin leaned over and turned off the answering machine. He looked back at Ruthie was staring at him with a smile on her face.

"That sure killed the mood." Martin stated.

Ruthie nodded in agreement.

They both realized that they had given into their wants and desires and that they were on the verge of consummating their relationship before they married. While they may be fine for some, and at the time they saw nothing wrong with making love, now that cooler heads were prevailing they both mutually decided not to have sex. Martin walked over to his dresser and pulled out a brown Hanes t-shirt for himself and one of his heavy cotton t-shirts that the occasional slept in during the winter for Ruthie. Handing it to her he watched as she slipped it on and then patted the bed besides her. Martin slipped back in and the two got comfortable and decided to rest for a bit longer before getting up to start the day.

It was quarter to ten when Ruthie Camden awoke again. She was snuggled up against Martin Brewer who was still out cold. She grinned and guessed their early morning festivities must have really tired him out. _Well, he did put a lot of effort into last night, who knows how long it took him to get everything ready._

She wasn't alone for long as moved his arm from around her and stretched. Martin was up and about and feeling completely re-energized. He had never felt more alive then he did at this moment. He was alive, almost finished with college, had many lucrative offers from major league baseball teams, but most importantly he had the love of an amazing young woman. Martin opened his eyes once more and looked at the smiling face of his ladylove.

"How about some breakfast?" Martin asked. He figured she would be hungry after their early morning session.

"Hmmm, breakfast sounds good. I worked up quite an appetite this morning." Ruthie teased. She giggled and placed butterfly kisses along Martins neck.

_Oh no please not again! _Martin thought as a grin formed on his face

Ruthie slid out from her side of the bed; stretched, knowing that she would be teasing her fiancé even though his t-shirt was covering her upper body. When she knew she had his attention she crawled seductively across the bed on all fours, gave him a small peck on the lips, then just when she saw his resolve weaken she hopped off the bed, grabbed Martins hand and forced him from the bed. Martin gave her a wicked glare as she laughed at him. Grabbing a pair of sweat pants he allowed Ruthie to lead him towards the kitchen. Once there Ruthie walked to the cabinet and got out the pancake mix. Knowing what she wanted Martin simply nodded and got out the mixing bowls.

"You know I haven't had pancakes in a while." Martin stated.

"Really?" Ruthie said in total astonishment. "Well it's a good thing I am here then."

"Yes it is." Martin confirmed. Having Ruthie around was always fulfilling.

They read the ingredients and divided the work in two. Ruthie would pour the powder into the bowls and Martin would get the eggs, water, and vegetable oil. After everything was out on the table they started adding the ingredients. But something unexpected happened. When Martin went to go put some batter on the frying pan he accidentally dropped it a little too hard. He could only watch as it flew from the pan and splattered on Ruthie.

Ruthie looked at Martin indignantly. Martin knew he would pay for it later but the look on her face caused him to break down and laugh hysterically. Ruthie tried to stay mad at Martin but as she caught her reflection in the mixing bowl she had to admit that not only was it funny but she could see how to him she'd look cute that way.

When he finally managed to catch his breath, Martin began trying to make peace.

"Oh Ruthie I am so sorry…hahahahahah..." Martin apologized, but couldn't hold a straight face. He grabbed a cloth from the table and began wiping the batter off.

"Nice Martin really nice." Ruthie shot back at him and grabbed the rag from him. He was always doing things to fast or to hard. She then took it upon herself to properly clean up the mess.

"Did I get it all off?" Ruthie asked.

Ruthie had gotten it all off, except for a little bit that was near her mouth. Martin leaned his face closer and spoke, "No you missed a little bit right here." Martin said leaning in and kissed Ruthie on the side of her lips. "And a little bit here." He went and kissed her other the other side.

This action had Ruthie taking a deep breathe. It was pure rapture. "Is it all off now." Ruthie spoke. Her hands went to Martins back

Martin just smiled and placed his hands to her face. "Just a little bit left, rightttt here." Martin whispered and placed a passionate kiss on Ruthie's tender, warm lips.

Ruthie opened her mouth and allowed him access to enter. They stood there for what seemed like forever, which was only 5 minutes. When they broke apart Ruthie's eyes were closed and her breathing became soft. Her arms now around his neck and her forehead resting on his chin. Martin just held onto her small frame breathless. It was kisses like that that would always take his breathe away and leave him feeling all tingly inside.

Martin let out a small moan and said, "I love Saturday mornings."

Ruthie giggled and nodded her head in agreement. "Me too Martin…me too."


	4. Chapter 4

After** s**liding back to the ground the couple went back to making breakfast. When it was done. Ruthie shooed Martin to his chair and she proceeded to server him breakfast. After all the work that he'd done last night it was the least she could do. Martin and Ruthie sat in relative silence with the exception of the occasional goofy grin followed by a chuckle. Ruthie sat much closer to Martin this morning. When Martin wasn't catching her eye it was because she was looking at her engagement ring. This also brought a smile to both of their faces.

"So when do we break the news to our folks?" Martin asked.

It was with that question that reality came crashing down upon Ruthie. Ruthie let out a sigh and then quickly formulated a plan.

"Martin can we not tell our parents about the engagement just yet?" Ruthie inquired.

Martin had a boggled look on his face as he wondered why. Finally curiosity got to the better of him and Martin asked, "Why don't you want to tell your parents about us?" Martin questioned.

Ruthie got up walked over to her future husband and said, "Martin, you know I love you with all of my heart. It's just I want to tell them at our own time when we feel it's special."

"Sure. If that's what you want." Martin said understanding her logic completely.

"Are you positive? I mean I know you must want to scream out loud, SHE SAID YES!" Ruthie stated, "Based on the look on your face just before you picked me up and twirled me around that is."

"I won't lie and say that I want the whole world to know that you're going to be my wife but at the same time I have no problem with us waiting till we want to tell everyone." Martin said.

"Precisely. Because you know the moment we tell my mom and Lucy that they are going to want to know when we are getting married and then we won't have a moment's peace until that day arrives." Ruthie stated.

"We can always elope like Matt and Sarah." Martin replied with a smile on his face.

"The only difference is that I won't have anyone to confide my secret with." Ruthie smartly retorted.

"Sure you do. Just, tell Matt and Sarah. They owe you." Martin acknowledged.

"It would serve them right, but I don't know if Matt and Sarah can keep a secret… well, maybe Matt." Ruthie replied.

"In all seriousness do you have an idea of when you would like to get married?" Martin asked.

"Not yet. I think I want to enjoy just being engaged first, after we're done with the school year, then we can start making plans for the rest of our lives." Ruthie responded.

"So… Ruthie Brewer," Martin voiced just to hear it for the first time aloud, "What would you like to do today?

"Mmmmm Ruthie Brewer," The young brunette replied, "I love the sound of that."

"You'd better get use to it; people are going to be calling you that for the rest of your life." Martin exclaimed.

"I can live with that." Ruthie adamantly stated as Martin leaned over and placed a passionate kiss on Ruthie's tender, warm lips.

AN: Hey guys this is ch 4...i know it's shorter than my others lolo…but I amdisappointed with my reviews for ch 3… I would really appreciate if i got more reviews...if i get more reviewsI will continue with the updates …no reviews no updates…you guys reviewed a lot on my first story…I mean u review on this one lolol..but my reviews for ch 3 made me very upset..soo write more reviews lolololo…reviews ch 3 and ch 4…please please review...


	5. AN

AN: I am so sorry for not updating this story in so long, but I've had a little bit of writers block and I have school. I will try and work on the chapter this weekend and hopefully maybe by next week have a chapter for you guys. Again I wanna thank all my readers for your support and your reviews. And I'm sorry if I'm making you go crazy with the long wait…But I will be continuing…


	6. Chapter 5 part 1

After Martin and Ruthie's conversation they decided it was too nice of a day to be inside. While Ruthie was in the bathroom fixing her hair, Martin was putting on a pair of his dark blue jeans.

_Today would be a nice day to have an outing with Aaron, maybe have him spend the night. Ruthie and I could pick him up and take him to the zoo and then afterwards the three of us could go to the Dairy Shack for dinner. _Martin thought to himself with a smile.

Just then Ruthie came walking into Martin's room. She noticed that he was deep in thought and that he was smiling brightly. _What is he smiling about? _Ruthie wondered.

"What are you smiling about Mr. Brewer?" Ruthie asked in a playful, yet, curious voice.

"I was thinking, why don't we take Aaron to the zoo today, and have him spend the night with us?" Martin suggested.

"That's a great idea Martin!" Ruthie exclaimed. Just the thought of spending the day with her two favorite men, at her favorite place made her feel so ecstatic.

_This is great!!! Oh I can't wait to see the little guy. I love him sooo much. I especially love when he runs into my arms whenever Martin and I go to see him. _A glowing look came upon Ruthie's as she thought of the little boy.

Martin couldn't help but look at the beautiful woman in front of him. Knowing that one day in the near future that she was going to be his son's step mom made him feel a sense of wholeness. The two of them have gotten so close within the last two years, it was amazing. Now Martin couldn't wait to go pick up his son.

"I'm glad you like the idea. Ok well lets go get finished and then we can go on over." Martin stated being as both of them have still were not dressed and ready.

About 20 minutes later the both of them were dressed and ready to head on out. They both got into Martin's car very eager to go see Aaron.

"I can't wait to see him. I hope Sandy didn't have any plans today." Ruthie anticipated getting there. She really wanted to spend the day with Aaron.

"I'm sure everything will work out. Besides Sandy enjoys sometime by herself and she loves when we come and take Aaron out. She said the look on Aaron's face when he sees us makes her feel very happy. Seeing him happy brings joy to her, especially when I bring him home and he kinda waddles when he runs to her. That is the joy of being a parent." Martin praised. He looked over at Ruthie with a smile and placed his free hand over her soft, small, delicate hand.

"You're going to make a great mom. But what makes me happiest is how much he loves you. Whenever he sees you he gets this like surprised happy look and that makes me melt, Sandy to. She said that I couldn't have found a better person to be with." Martin swooned.

Ruthie was so overwhelmed by joy with Martin's words. She was happy that Aaron loved her so much. Holding back a few tears Ruthie smiled and said, "I'm happy too Martin. Now let's go and get Aaron before I start bawling and my mascara starts running and I look like a raccoon."

"I didn't mean to almost make you cry. But hey if your mascara did start running you'd fit right in at the zoo." Martin joked and started to laugh.

Ruthie had this shocked, blank, yet, surprised expression on her face. She raised her hand and playfully slapped Martin in the arm. "Martin!!!! That's real nice to say." Ruthie whined.

"Owww…that hurt." He joked. "OK, I'm sorry." Martin apologized.

Ruthie just rolled her eyes and laughed. They pulled up into Sandy's development and parked. Martin got out went to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for Ruthie. Walking hand in hand they walked up the flight of stairs and knocked on Sandy's door.

Inside Sandy had just finished cleaning up the bathroom when she heard a knock at her door. _I wonder who that could be, _sandy thought as she placed the rag that was in her hand onto her coffee table and opened her front door.

"Martin Ruthie what a surprise. Please come in." Sandy was bewildered. She wasn't expecting them to come over.

"Hi Sandy." Ruthie greeted.

"Hello Sandy. Sorry for just dropping by without calling but, we were wondering if maybe we could take Aaron to the zoo today. Spend the whole day with him maybe let him stay the night." Martin asked. He could tell Sandy was still surprised by them coming over.

"No it's ok Martin. I'm just surprised to see you that's all. And yes of course you can take Aaron, let me go and get him." Sandy replied. She smiled as she walked into Aaron's to see him sitting on the floor watching Baby Looney Toons. Sandy went up behind him and scooped him up in her arms and kissed his cheek.

"Hey there my little munchkin, guess who's here." Sandy cooed to the little boy in her arms.

Aaron titled his head with a curious expression. In his soft little voice he asked, "Who?"

"Daddy and Ruthie are here." Sandy answered. She knew he be very anxious to go see them. With that Aaron wiggled out of her grasp and ran (in this case kind of waddled) to the living room.

As soon as he saw Martin and Ruthie, Aaron's face lit up with joy. "Dada and uthie… (He couldn't say her name that well…)" Aaron screamed as he ran toward them.

Ruthie smiled at the little boy. She loved when he tried to say her name. Martin knelt down and caught Aaron in his arms, picked him up and held him in the air like he was flying.

"There's my little guy. I missed you sooo much." Martin stated. Aaron started laughing and waving his arms in the air.

"Hey don't hog him." Ruthie interrupted. Every time they went to see him Martin would always hog him.

Sandy came out of Aaron's room with his over night bag. Martin just laughed as he looked at the mother of his child and his fiancé, and his son. He handed Aaron to Ruthie who was very happy to have the little boy in her arms. Aaron wrapped his little arms around her neck and kissed her cheek.

"How is my favorite person in the world?" Ruthie asked looking at Aaron.

The little boy smiled and replied, "Fine."

"Here is his over night bag. I packed his pj's, change of clothes, toys, and his favorite bedtime book. Also he has had a little of a tummy ache these past two days so I am trying not to give him sweets or junk food." Sandy explained.

"Awww poor little guy." Martin turned to Aaron." Are you feeling ok now buddy." Martin asked in a soft voice.

The little boy nodded his head and reached for Sandy.

"Come here sweetie." Sandy pouted. Taking the child into her arms she said, "You're going to have a good time with daddy and Ruthie."

"He'll be fine Sandy. I have medicine if his stomach bothers him." Martin acknowledged. He looked over at Ruthie and smiled.

_I feel sooo bad for Aaron. He's gonna want his mother if his stomach starts to bother him. _Ruthie thought.

"Ok bye sweetie, have a good time ok." Sandy cooed. She placed one hand to his head and kissed him and gave him one last hug before he left.

Sandy handed Aaron to Martin and handed his over night bag to Ruthie. "Sandy relax enjoy yourself. He will be fine." He looked at Ruthie then back at Sandy. "We'll see you Monday then."

"Bye Sandy it was good seeing you again. Tell Simon I said hi." Ruthie added.

Sandy laughed and said, "Will do. Oh before you guys leave Simon wanted to know if you guys wanted to go out for dinner next weekend just the four of us." Sandy asked.

"Yea that be nice. We haven't done that in a while." Martin answered. The last time the two couples went out for dinner was two months ago.

That became a thing that they liked to do. Whenever they had the chance the four of them would go out for dinner, talk and just have a good time.

"Bye." They said in unison as they waved to Sandy.

"Bye…have a good time." Sandy retorted as she watched them leave.

_I hope Aaron doesn't get sick again. What to do now. Maybe I will call Simon and have him come over._ Sandy thought as she went to her room to call Simon.

**Martin's car**

Martin and Ruthie got Aaron situated in his car seat and got ready to go to the zoo. Ruthie turned her head to face Aaron and asked, "Are you ready to go see all the animals."

Aaron giggled and hid behind the toy that was in his tiny little hands. The toy he had was a toy airplane that Martin had gotten him when they went to the carnival last summer.

Martin who was driving looked in his mirror to see the laughing child seated in the back. Nothing made him happier than to see the two people he cared about most happy. _I can't wait till I marry Ruthie. She is going to be such a great step mom to him. _Martin thought as he quickly glanced over at Ruthie.

"We're going to have so much fun today. And afterwards we're taking you to the Dairy Shack." Martin stated.

Ruthie leaned in and whispered in Martin's ear. "Do you think that is a good idea with his stomach and all? I mean Sandy did say to keep him off the junk food and sweets, and I would feel really bad if he got sick."

"What junk food Ruthie? He can't eat popcorn because he's too young so he can eat a burger or just a fry." Martin replied. _He loved how Ruthie was so motherly to Aaron._

A short time later they had arrived at the zoo. Martin got Aaron's stroller from the trunk of his car and brought it to where Ruthie was standing. Aaron was a little fussy due to his excitement.

"Monkeys first dada." Aaron ordered in a childish voice. Monkeys were his favorite animals.

"Hmmm…he loves his monkeys." Ruthie pointed out.

"Yea he does. He has so many of them at home that he could start his own little monkey zoo." Martin joked.

The three of them headed toward the entrance of the zoo. They took Aaron to see the monkeys just like he asked. In the cage there were five monkeys, two of which were swinging on a branch. The three little ones were picking bugs out of each others hair. This made both Aaron and Ruthie laugh.

"Dada look monkey." Aaron shouted in excitement. He was so fascinated by watching them and their movements.

"Yea buddy. See there cleaning each other. It's a little odd but hey you gotta do what you gotta do to stay clean." Martin said with a chuckle. _I am so happy I'm not a monkey; wouldn't want anyone picking through my hair. _Martin thought.

"You know Martin they kind of remind me of you." Ruthie said trying to hold a straight face and not laugh. But she failed miserably, not even two seconds later Ruthie was laughing so hard she snorted.

"Ha ha very funny." Martin retorted making a face and rolling his eyes.

"Daddy's a monkey?" Aaron asked curiously. He didn't know that Ruthie was joking.

"No…hahahahah daddy's not a monkey." Ruthie confirmed. Trying to make amends with Martin she walked up to him and kissed him. Martin wrapped one arm around her pulling her closer and deepened the kiss. Pulling back from the kiss the two looked at each other and smiled.

After the little monkey scene they took Aaron to see the lions. Even though they were in a cage they were still a little scary to a little boy. The one lion was close up to the cage with his eyes watching all the people pass by. His mane was thick and long, his teeth pearly white.

Ruthie noticed that Aaron was getting a little scared because he was hiding behind his little toy airplane again. Nudging Martin and pointing to a frightened little boy in his stroller, Martin got the message and said, "Why don't we go see the zebra's."

_Aww poor Aaron. I hate when he gets scared like that, it always makes me feel bad. _Ruthie thought.

"You know what. I think they have the animal feeding a little ways up so why don't we take him there." Ruthie suggested.

"That's a great idea, I'm sure that'll be fun." Martin looked down at Aaron. "Does that sound good buddy?" Martin asked. He could also tell that Aaron was still a little bit startled by the lion.

The little boy clutched his toy and nodded his head slightly. He looked as though he wanted to cry, but held his tears back. Ruthie bent down and placed a soft, gentle, and loving kiss on his cheek. "It's ok sweetie. I won't let anything scare you again, I promise." Ruthie reassured him.

Sounds of little children laughing could be heard coming from the petting zoo. The little children were running around, giggling as the animals tickled their little hands as they ate the oats. Many of the parents watched in amusement as their kids fed and petted the animals.

When they arrived at the petting zoo, Martin went over and bought some food for Aaron to give to the baby animals. Ruthie stood and watched the other parents spend time with their kids. Martin came back with a bag of oats and bent down in front of Aaron's stroller.

"Are you ready to go feed the animals?" Martin asked.

Aaron looked at Martin with a smile and asked in a cute voice, "Will you feed them with me?"

How could he refuse an offer like that? Martin nodded and took his son's hand and they walked over to the animals.

Ruthie stood by the stroller and watched as her future husband and soon to be step son fed the baby animals. It was joyful site watching a father and son bond and spend time together. Martin was so great with him. She wondered how things would be when she became Aarons step mom.

_Will everything be the same once I'm his step mom? What if I don't do a good job? I want to be his mom, but am I ready? There are so many things to worry about. What if I say something and he tells me he doesn't have to because I'm not his mom? There is a possibility that might happen. I could do things different then Sandy does, and he may not like that. _Ruthie wondered to herself. She was staring off into space in deep thought. So many things going through her head about the marriage and responsibility she was about to take on.

Aaron wasn't her son, but she loved him as though he was. Could she be a good step mom? Before it hadn't crossed her mind, but as soon as she said yes to Martin it did. Was she doing the right thing, would she be good at being a mom? If only things weren't so frustrating. _Please let me be a good step mom. I want this to work, I really do. But what if it doesn't. My relationship with Aaron could change, for better or worse. And if things do change for the worst I could lose Martin and Aaron._ Ruthie worried. _I just have to stay positive and it will be ok. _

Over by the animals Martin and Aaron were laughing and having a good time as they fed all of the little animals. Aaron was giggling at the baby goat that was nibbling at his tiny hand that was full of oats. It was one of those moments where you can't help but melt over. Martin turned around to see Ruthie deep in thought. She was just standing there staring off into space. He wondered if she was ok and what she was thinking about.

Mimicking what his father was doing, Aaron turned and waved at Ruthie. But she didn't notice. Martin took Aarons hand and they walked over to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Martin asked curiously.

"Oh nothing…just watching everyone have fun." She lied. And she knew Martin knew she was lying.

"Are you sure?" Martin wondered. Something was up, and she wasn't telling him.

"Yea…I think I'm gonna go feed the rabbits." Ruthie replied as she began walking over to where the rabbits were. As she was walking she felt a tiny pull on her shirt. When she looked down, she saw Aaron.

"Can I come?" Aaron asked.

"Aww…how can I say no to that adorable face?" Ruthie answered, as she took Aarons little hand in hers and walked to the rabbit cages.

Still not sure if everything was ok, Martin smiled and watched as the two of them walked away. But something in his mind was telling him that she was hiding something from him, and he had to find out what it was.

AN: I hope you like this ch…sry it took me so long to post it…


	7. chapter 5 part 2

**AN: I know it's been a while since I updated this story, but I've been so busy with school and I haven't gotten any reviews so I really haven't felt like writing…But I started this new story called 5 Months and that got me into wanting to write more of what is…sooo I am happy to say that here is part 2 oh ch 5….**

Finally after a long day at the zoo the trio is ready to leave and go home. It had been a long tiring day for Aaron, who was now on Martins shoulders with his head resting on his dads. Ruthie looked up and smiled at the little boy who was yawning and rubbing his eyes with his little hands.

A loud hungry gurgling sound came from the Ruthie's stomach as she reached the car. She hadn't eaten since that morning and all that walking had her famished. When Martin had finished buckling Aaron in his car seat he got in the front seat and looked over at Ruthie. He knew something was up from the way she had been acting earlier on at the petting zoo and from the way she was being so quiet. She was never really quiet unless she was sick or she was hiding something. _I wonder what's wrong with her, _Martin wondered to himself as he started the car and buckled his seatbelt.

"Are you guy's hungry?" Martin asked.

"I'm hungry." Ruthie replied. Turning around to look at Aaron, she asked, "Are you hungry sweetie."

Aaron looked up and nodded his head.

"Someone's tired." Martin looked in his mirror and smiled at his son. "So where are we going to go?" Martin asked. He didn't want to pull out without knowing where he was going.

The only place Ruthie could think of at the moment was the Dairy Shack. It was fast, easy, and the food was good. But the only thing is that Aaron would have to get something light due to his stomach aches he had been having the past few days. So she wasn't sure if she should say to go there or tell him to go to Pete's Pizza. _What to do…what to do…ughhh…I'll just tell him to go to the Dairy Shack, _Ruthie argued with herself.

"Go to the Dairy Shack I guess. It's right down the road and it's quick and easy." Ruthie said. She knew she would regret saying to go there, but she wanted to get back to Martin's and relax.

"The Dairy Shack it is." Martin announced.

"YAY…I LOVE THE DAIRY SACK…" Aaron screamed with excitement. That was his favorite place to go.

Aaron's little outburst caused the two to laugh. It was so cute that said Dairy Sack instead of saying Dairy Shack. With that, Martin pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the Dairy Shack.

"Did you have a nice time today buddy?" Martin asked.

"I had great time." Aaron exclaimed. He was so enthusiastic about everything.

"That's good to hear Aaron. We're glad you had a great time because I had a lot of fun being with you and your dad." Ruthie stated. She loved spending time with them and enjoyed their little outings.

They pulled into the Dairy Shack parking about five minutes later. "Ok we're here." Martin informed.

Seeing as Martin was fixing his rear view mirrors, Ruthie unbuckled her belt and went to unbuckle Aaron from his car seat. Aaron was playing with his toy monkey when Ruthie opened the back door to unbuckle him. "Can monkey come to?" Aaron asked looking up at Ruthie.

"Of course he can come." Ruthie said. The way he looked up at her made her melt.

"Let's go." Martin said. He took Aarons little hand in his and wrapped his other arm around Ruthie and walked into the Dairy Shack.

Luckily for them it wasn't that packed so they were able to find an empty table. Since Aaron was only he three he had to sit in one of those booster seats, which he didn't mind sitting in. That's what Martin and Ruthie loved about Aaron, no matter where they ate, he never had a problem sitting in the booster seat.

"Do you know what you're getting Martin?" Ruthie asked looking up from the little menu on the table.

The only thing that sounded good to him was a hot dog and onion rings, but he got that every time he went there. This time he wanted something different. "Not a clue. Do you know what you want?" Martin asked.

"Hmmm...I think I'm gonna have a cheeseburger and fries." Ruthie decided.

"I think I will have the same." Turning his attention to Aaron, he asked, "What about you buddy? Do you know what you want?"

"A hotdog and French fries please." Aaron answered politely.

"I don't think he should be eating that. Sandy did say he had been having stomachaches the past two days. I wouldn't risk having him get sick again." Ruthie voiced her opinion.

"What could it hurt? And besides, he's with us." Martin said. _It's a hotdog, no one gets sick from a hotdog and fries, _Martin thought.

_Why does he always under mind me. He knows Sandy didn't want Aaron to have junk and yet, he still allows him to get the food. How am I suppose to be like Aarons mom when Martin keeps doing this, _Ruthie questioned herself. She felt insecure and unsure about being a mom. Martin had been acting as though her opinions didn't matter, like she had no say in regards to Aaron because Aaron was HIS son and not hers.

Ruthie rolled her eyes and sat back as Martin went and ordered the food. About five minutes later Martin came back to the table and sat down.

"Food will be ready in a few minutes." Martin announced. He looked over at Ruthie and noticed that something was obviously bothering her. She had this look on her face that he had seen earlier at the zoo. "Is something wrong Ruthie?" Martin asked.

"No…nothings wrong." Ruthie replied.

Seeing that their food was ready, Martin said, "We'll finish this when I come back." With that last statement he got up and went to get their order. Moments later Martin returned and handed everyone what they had ordered.

"I know something is bothering you. I can see it in your eyes." He couldn't understand why she wouldn't tell him what was bothering her. She told him everything. "Please tell me what's bothering you so much?" He pleaded with her.

"Fine…you want to know what's bothering. I'll tell you." Ruthie paused to take a quick sip of her soda. "It bothers me that you sit there and under mind me and don't care about my opinions. I told you giving him junk food would be a bad idea. Sandy even told you he hadn't been feeling good, and what do you do…you get him a hotdog and fries." Ruthie raised her voice.

"It's just a hotdog, nothing will happen….But I know that's not what's really bothering you. It's something else." Martin declared.

When it came to hiding her feelings, Ruthie was good at it. But when it came to hiding them from Martin, she wasn't that good. Martin had gotten to a point that he was able to read her like a book. It was actually kind of scary that even if she tried her best she couldn't keep anything from him.

Taking a deep breath, Ruthie looked into his eyes and admitted, "I'm scared…I'm afraid I wont be a good mom."

This was a total shock for him. He couldn't believe that she was scared about that. _Why would she think that? How could she think that? She's great with Aaron and loves him so much. I can't believe she really thinks that, _Martin wondered.

"How could you honestly think that you won't be a good mom? You and Aaron are so close. He loves you so much. You've been in his life since he was born; you helped me raise him and everything." Martin questioned.

"But I'm not his real mom." Ruthie confessed. "What if I don't do things right. I mean what if he says my mommy doesn't do it like that or my mommy does it better. What if he doesn't want me to be his step mom? He could get sick and say he doesn't want me, he wants his mom. Do you know how scary that is to think that might happen?" Ruthie asked rhetorically.

Martin had no idea that she felt that way. He thought she was happy that she was gonna be Aaron's step mom, not be terrified. "I had no idea Ruthie…Yes he will say Sandy does things a certain way, but that isn't to hurt you. He's just letting you know what she does differently. There will even be times when he tells Sandy Ruthie does it differently. That doesn't mean Sandy will be upset about it. And why wouldn't he want you as his new mom. He loves and adores you." Martin explained.

"I know that…But I still have this feeling that I won't be good enough. There are so many things that could happen." A single tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of everything that could go wrong. "I've been thinking about this all day, ever since the petting zoo. I could tell him to do something and he could say he doesn't have to listen because I'm not his mom." Ruthie stated. This was hard for her to admit because she really did love Aaron and didn't want to sound like she didn't.

Martin got up from his seat and sat next to Ruthie pulling her into his arms. He lifted her chin so their eyes connected and kissed her tears away. It killed him to see her like this. "Listen to me. You will be a great mom. I don't want you to think otherwise or let anyone tell you otherwise, because you are an amazing woman and you're great to my son. There is no other woman out there I wouldn't want to be my son's step mom than you." More tears formed in Ruthie's eyes as Martin's words comforted her. "Don't think about the bad things that could happen, think about the good things that will come." Martin whispered.

"You always know how to make me feel better." Ruthie smiled and kissed his cheek.

Removing a strand of hair from her eyes, Martin acknowledged, "We'd better eat before the food gets cold."

"Yea, you're right." Ruthie agreed and took a bite of her burger.

Aaron who had been watching the two talk for the past 15 minutes was completely baffled. He had no clue what was going on, all he knew was that his hotdog and fries were yummy. But he suddenly didn't feel to well; his tummy ache had come back.

"Daddy, my tummy hurts." Aaron cried.

"Awww, don't cry buddy." Martin cooed as he picked Aaron up n placed him in his arms.

_I told Martin he shouldn't have let him eat the junk food. But nooo, he doesn't listen to me and now Aaron is sick,_ Ruthie said to herself.

"We should get going." Ruthie sighed.

They left the Dairy Shack and went back to Martins.

Once they arrived at Martin's house, Ruthie took Aaron upstairs and put him in his pj's. Tears were rolling down the three yr olds rosy cheeks as he sat on the marble counter top in the bathroom. His face was a little pale and his cheeks were flushed. "I think I'm gonna throw up." Aaron cried.

She lifted Aaron off the counter and placed him near the toilet just in time because as soon as she did he threw up. Martin came in seconds later to see his son vomiting into the toilet. He knew it was his fault Aaron had gotten sick, if he hadn't let him get the hotdog and fries this wouldn't have happened. Walking over to Aaron's side, he could see the chunks of the hotdog and fries mixed with the soda.

_I shouldn't have let him eat that…Sandy told me about his stomach aches, but nooo…I didn't listen. Even Ruthie told me that…She was right though…And now my son is sick because of me, because I wanted him to enjoy himself and have what he wanted. Dammit…,_ Martin scolded himself.

Ruthie knelt down and began rubbing Aaron's back to calm him down. "Shh…you're gonna be ok." Ruthie comforted. He looked up at her with tears in his hazel eyes for about a moment and then turned to throw up.

"I'm sorry buddy. If I hadn't let you eat what you did none of this would have happened." Martin apologized.

Aaron threw up three more times before feeling a little bit better. Grabbing a wash cloth from the hall closet, Ruthie began to clean the child's face and kissed his little tears away. "Don't cry. I'm here…" Ruthie cooed, as wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.

Leaning against the door pane, Martin watched as Ruthie tended to his son. He knew from that moment that Ruthie was going to be a great mother. The way she handled the situation and the way she was with him, was amazing. Before putting him to bed, Ruthie had Aaron brush his teeth and blow his nose. After that both Ruthie and Martin brought Aaron in his room and tucked him into bed. They put a pail next to him and a cup of ginger ale to calm his stomach.

"Would you like me to stay with you?" Ruthie asked.

The little boy looked up and shook his head no. "Ok, well if you need us we'll be downstairs." Martin said. He leaned down and kissed Aarons forehead. Ruthie kissed his cheek and turned his night light on before leaving.

Once downstairs Ruthie let Martin have it. "I told you he wasn't supposed to eat junk food. I repeatedly told you it was a bad idea. Sandy told you DO NOT GIVE HIM JUNK FOOD…and what do you go and do…you give him junk food." Ruthie yelled, but not too loud.

Martin could see from Ruthie's face just how angry at him she was. Her eyes shot daggers at him and her words roared. "I know I was wrong OK…I just wanted him to have a good time." His eyes fell to the floor. "I didn't think he would have gotten sick." Martin admitted. _I made a mistake. She doesn't need to bite my head off over it_, Martin thought to himself.

_How could he have thought that Aaron wouldn't have gotten sick? How could he take the chance of letting his son eat junk food when he knew what he did? God sometimes I think Martin has his head up his ass when it comes to things like this, _Ruthie wondered.

"That's your problem Martin, you never think. Your son is up there not feeling well because of your stupidity." Ruthie retorted.

"Excuse me!" Martin looked at her with shocked. His eyebrows were raised and his face was getting a little red. "I never think…I never think…How are you going to stand there and pass judgment on me when just a few hours ago you were whining to me _Oh Martin I don't think I can be a mom…What if I cant handle it._" Martin mocked.

Ruthie was stunned in silence by Martins words. She couldn't believe that he would say that to her. Tears began to form in her chocolate eyes as his words replayed in her mind.

"I can't believe you just said that to me." Ruthie said.

He knew what he said was wrong, but what she had said hurt him too. "I'm sorry Ruthie. But what you said hurt me too. You say you're afraid to be a mom and then you turn around and yell at me about bad parenting. Do you know how much of a hypocrite you sound like when you say that?" Martin replied. He hadn't meant to make her cry; he was just trying to get back at her for what she had said.

Now tears were really beginning to fall from her eyes. Ruthie looked away not wanting to look at him, she knew he was right but didn't want to admit it. She was just angry at him for not listening to Sandy or her.

"I'm sorry for what I said. But I told you he shouldn't have eaten it and you disregarded my opinion. It's like you don't care what I think. You want me to be his step mom but then yet you under mind what I say and do what you want." Ruthie threw her arms up to her sides like _what do you want from me._ "Do you even really what me to be his step mom?" Ruthie asked.

"What…Of course I do!" His mouth dropped and his eyes widen, he was shocked she would even ask him that. "I do care what you think. Your opinion means a lot to me and I'm sorry that I didn't listen before." He pulled her into his arms and titled her face to look at him. "You're right; sometimes I can be hard headed. I'm truly sorry, I really am. You have just as much a say about him as I do because you've been there since he was born. He isn't yours and yet you treat him as though he is. So from now on I want you to tell me when I'm being stubborn and thick headed." Martin stated.

It made her happy to hear him admit that he was being stubborn. She leaned on up and placed a kiss on his soft lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you." She whispered in his ear.

He wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer to him and leaned down to her ear and whispered, "I love you too angel." And placed soft butterfly kisses on her neck that made her giggle.

After their little kiss and make up, the two went upstairs to Aaron's room to make sure that he was ok. To their surprise, Aaron was still awake and was sitting up in bed with a sad look on his face. "I heard yelling…and my tummy still hurts." He cried.

"Awww baby…" Ruthie cooed softly and went to Aaron's side. Martin immediately joined her and went over to the other side of the bed.

"Want us to stay with you tonight." Martin asked. He couldn't leave him alone crying all night. _I hate when he cries_,Martin thought.

The little boy just nodded his head and went into his fathers arms. Martin wrapped his arms around Aaron and motioned for Ruthie to come closer. Ruthie grabbed the big, blue, and grey blanket from the edge of the bed and then joined her two favorite men for a night of rest. The three of them fell fast asleep within moments and were lying in the cutest position. Martin had his hand resting on Ruthie's back and Ruthie had her arm around the little boy that lay peacefully in the middle of them.


	8. Important ANStory over

**Hey everyone, sorry this is not a ch. I am ending the story and leaving it as is. I haven't thought about this story for a while and don't have much time to work on it. I know some of you are going to be mad, but please don't be. For everyone who wants to know what happens, basically, Ruthie and Martin get married and so do Sandy and Simon. Ruthie becomes Aaron's second mom and things are fine. Sorry again for all those who wanted a real ending. If anyone would like to continue it, let me know. You can write the chs and send them to me and I'll post them up. Of course the credit will go to you. But if no one wants to then this story is now finished. But if someone does want to continue it please shoot me a message. Thank you everyone who has reviewed the story and stuck with it. You guys are amazing!!**


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